


The Dawn of a New Era

by bookybookworm



Category: Merlin (TV), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, I'll add more tags as i go, Post-Season/Series 05 AU (ouat), The Dark One (Once Upon a Time), sorry for short chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-25 21:09:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4976620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookybookworm/pseuds/bookybookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma is stranded in a strange forest, getting used to her new powers as the Dark One. The rest of the OUAT gang are trying to get her back. Merlin is a thousand-odd years old and is residing near the Lake of Avalon, waiting for King Prat to return.<br/>What will happen when these two worlds meet?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dawn of a New Era

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Season 5 in Merlin, and Season 4 in OUAT. It picks up where OUAT season 4 left off, and has hints of season 5 (OUAT) but nothing too spoilery. There are major spoilers of all seasons in Merlin (including THAT one) but I'm sure that you guys have seen them before.

The dark tendrils finally disappeared, taking Emma with them. A sharp metal knife dropped to the ground, ringing loudly in the silence. The scene was still for a moment, just the chirping of crickets piercing the blanket of stillness. The stars seemed to grow colder, casting a pale light on the world below. The moon was obscured by clouds. A few flickering streetlamps still illuminated the road, the others having shorted when the darkness had first arrived. Five people, in varying states of despair were standing, motionless on the street. Several things happened at once.

  
“Emma!” Snow screamed, and she and David swiftly broke from their embrace to run towards the dagger, now inscribed with the deadly words: “Emma Swan”. Snow’s hands curled into a fist as she sank to the floor. Her daughter, gone. She sobbed quietly, thinking about all of Emma’s accomplishments, and her role as the Saviour. Her last triumph as the Saviour, Snow thought bitterly, and she’s ultimately killed herself. Snow’s lips turned down. Or she’s killed us.

David closed his eyes. Of course Emma would do this. She had an annoying hero complex (no doubt inherited from him and Snow) which made her take risks. She had found a large family in Storybrooke, and she was willing to die for each and every one of them. Which she just did. David wanted to draw his sword, his gun, and kill anything that stood in the way of him getting to Emma. He finally had found his daughter, but now she was gone – probably forever.

Killian stood quietly, taking deep breaths, trying not to roar out in anger. Emma’s parting words to him were ‘I love you,’ but would she ever love him again? Now that she was… the Dark One? He fought hard to not break down there and then, wanting to pound his fists into the ground until they were broken. He’d do anything to get Emma back. Hell, he’d even take her place.

Regina and Robin just stared in abject horror at the place where, moments before, a seething mass of dark energy had been absorbed into Emma Swan. Regina wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Emma, who she now considered as somewhat of a friend, had stupidly absorbed dark magic into her body. It wasn’t a conventional method of becoming the Dark One – Rumpelstiltskin wasn’t quite dead yet, but the words on the dagger proved the unthinkable. Where had she gone, anyway? Regina wasn’t one to always expect the worse (well, she was) but she hoped that Emma wasn’t completely dark yet. She still had light magic running through her veins.

Meanwhile, Snow was crying, clutching the dagger as if it was her only lifeline. Suddenly, she sat up straight, taking a bemused David with her. She seemed almost excited. “The sorcerer!” she exclaimed. “He can help us!”

Regina walked to where Snow and David were sitting on the glistening road. “Who, Merlin?” she said incredulously. “If an apprentice couldn’t contain the Dark One, I doubt an old man could.” Regina didn’t believe in Merlin’s ‘great power’. When she used to read bedtime stories to Henry, before any of the Saviour nonsense happened, one man that Henry was particularly fascinated with was the old wizard Merlin. Of course the Arthurian Legends were hopelessly mangled in this world, like Regina’s own story, but she knew that the myth had a grain of truth to it. But Merlin couldn’t be the most powerful magic user to walk all realms. That was impossible.

“Anyway, what if he ends up hurting Emma in the process?” David asked. He was worried about her. Despite being the Dark One now, she was still his daughter. There was always a way to get the darkness out of her. Just not by using the magic of a centuries-old man who was probably senile anyway. Maybe he could be used as a last resort.

“Or he could hurt someone else,” Killian added. “Why don’t we summon Emma using the dagger?” It pained him to say it. Killian didn't want to treat Emma like a common Dark One, but it was the only way to get her back to him.

“That’s… that’s actually a good idea,” Regina said. “But we have to be careful. Emma is now the Dark One. She’s quite powerful.” Regina winced. She knew that statement wouldn’t go down well with the so-called ‘Charming Family’.

Snow frowned. “She wouldn’t hurt us! She’s our daughter!”

“Snow’s right.” David took the dagger from his wife. “Let’s do it.” He took a deep breath.

“Hang on!” Regina yelled. “Just in case, I should be the one to summon her. Just in case she gets… out of control.” She raised her hands, placating them as they all moved to protest. “Just in case. I won't harm her.” Not that I could if I tried, she thought.

David reluctantly held out the dagger. As Regina tried to take it, he gripped the dagger for a second longer. “Don’t do anything rash.”  
Regina’s smile did not reach her eyes. “I won't.” Robin clasped her shoulder for a moment and attempted a smile, then moved back.

Regina held the knife by its hilt and readied herself. It was now or never. Her magic was held ready at her fingertips in case Emma decided to attack them all. She prayed it would work and tried to calm her beating heart. She said in a strong, clear voice, “I summon thee Dark One, Emma Swan.”  
*end of chapter 1*

**Author's Note:**

> I have a confession. Regina's my favourite character. David is my least. Sorry for the abundance of Regina thoughts and the lack of David thoughts.  
> Please leave kudos and comment!


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